No Excuses, No Limits: The Savior vs the Sinner
One day before the Hell Tournament begins...' In Karakura Town, the tattered remains of an old warehouse stands. From the looks of it, it hadn't been used in decades, but in actuality, it was the secret base of the Vizard. Shinji Hirako and Ichigo Kurosaki emerged from the underground training room as evening set on Karakura Town. Both were heading for dinner with their other teammates after a long day of training. "So...today's the last day before.." Ichigo began. "Yep." Shinji interrupted, "The last day of peace. Tomorrow, that tournament in hell begins and the boss'll be declaring war on Soul Society." he said. Ichigo sighed, "What did we get ourselves into?" he mumbled. "Look, I don't know why you joined up with him, but we Vizard think it's high time Soul Society fell. The Central 46 have been showing signs of corruption ever since I was first starting out as a Captain and now it seems the Gotei 13 has followed suit. This is the only way." Shinji replied, as he opened the giant garage door that acted as an entry and exit point for the warehouse. "Now, let's go find the others." A little ways off, sitting on a rooftop all alone in the middle of the afternoon, was a tall, lanky man with a large and unusually shaped weapon on his shoulders. He wore an outfit consisting of militia-like attire. His long hair was scattered over his face and shoulders, hiding his eyes from view. To people that knew him, this wouldn't have been the way they would've seen him. Instead, all they would've seen was a white uniform and a tattoo that signaled his ranking. To the ones that knew him, the ones that fought alongside him, he could only be recognized as one thing, and even that could be classified as many. Butcher. Killer. Monster. Beast. And above all... Nnoitra Jiruga, Quinta Espada. For this very day, after lots of training, the team he had been with had allowed for a break just for this day. He chose to reside in the Human World, having not much else to do. He was reflecting his thoughts on the Winter War... at least, what he had gotten to before he had been struck down by one Kenpachi Zaraki. It was a shame that he hadn't been at Karakura Town with his comrades... he would've gladly taken to fighting some higher-level Shinigami by now. With them gone, deceased or otherwise, he was one bored stiff. There was nothing left over, Aizen had been killed, and there was not an excuse for fight in sight. What was this ex-soldier of the Espada to do? Ichigo and Shinji immediately sensed his spiritual energy. "It's an Arrancar." Shinji noted. "Yeah, and one that feels pretty familiar." Ichigo added. Shinji looked at him with a rather annoyed expression, "Well....we have two options. Kill it...or ignore it." he spat. "Let's go with kill it, for 200 please." Ichigo replied rather comically. Shinji sighed and strapped his zanpakutō to his back, "Kill it, it is." he said and they both took off with Shunpō. Then he felt it. His only eye widened immediately, upon feeling that spiritual pressure come towards him. Back then, it had been weakened, battle-worn, and exhausted just enough to be wasted by a beatdowns. For a moment, he pondered on what to do, as he felt another foreign presence beside that one. Would he run away, like a coward? Or would he face the enemy he had so longed to fight and crush under his feet? The answer was obvious. A smirk graced his face, and he slowly lifted himself to his feet, Santa Teresa on his shoulders. He turned into the direction of where the energies were coming from, cracking his neck to the side. Maybe he'd have something to do after all. As they traveled to the location, Shinji coached Ichigo. "Remember your training. Let's think of this as a test for all that you have been preparing for. When we get to the location, don't waste your time with idle words. Attack from the start, ask questions later." he told Ichigo. Ichigo only nodded, "Right." Shinji then smirked, "When you first started this out in the Winter War, you had only two things in your arsenal; your Bankai and your Hollowfication. Now we've provided you with some extra abilities and training. Let's see how you use them." he said. Immediately after, they arrived at Nnoitra's location. Without missing a beat, Ichigo drew Zangetsu and made a mighty swing for the Arrancar standing on top of the skyscraper. As he swung, he recognized who it was he was fighting. One of the old Espada. One that had beaten him shortly after his battle with Grimmjow, and one he had been saved from by Kenpachi. All it took was a simple turn... CLANG! "....Hello... Shinigami." Nnoitra hissed, staring into the eyes of his former prey. He had acted accordingly, twisting Santa Teresa's two blades and putting them in the path of Ichigo's cleaver blade. He had only put one hand in the effort to defend himself from what could've possibly been a fatal move. He sneered, giving a thrust in order to push the Shinigami back. Sparks flew as friction rubbed against their blades, twin steels acting against one another. However, as he did so, he could immediately tell that he wasn't here for small talk this time. That was fine with him... he was planning on crushing that throat anyway. However, his snake-like eye couldn't help but drift towards the other Shinigami hanging back... why was he here? Wasn't he going to attack? Shinji leaned back and floated in a leisurely position in the air, "If you don't mind, I'm gonna sit this one out, Ichigo." he said. "Fine by me." Ichigo replied, elongating the strap on Zangetsu's hilt. He then swung Zangetsu around in a circle by the strap. "Time for me to finally kill you...Espada." he said, talking to Nnoitra. Then, using it as if it was a flail, he attacked with Zangetsu, swinging it in large, long arcs. Here he comes! CLANG! This time, Nnoitra moved Santa Teresa aside, raising his free hand up from it. His palms scraped against the killing edge of the oversized butcher knife before stopping it in its tracks in a catch, due to the enhanced Hierro he had grown so proud of. As he glanced over the sword, he thought about the last time they had fought. Wasn't the guy in a different outfit? His Bankai? If so, he could safely assume that this was his Shikai. "Oh, how cute..." He said mockingly. "The punk says he's gonna kill me? That's my line!" With a quick yank, he pulled the sword by the chain to pull Ichigo forcefully towards him. Santa Teresa raised itself, thrusting as he came into range. Ichigo pulled Zangetsu back in just in time, "Getsuga Tenshō!" he cried, firing the blue crescent wave at the oncoming Santa Tresa. "If he continues with close combat, I'll just use Zangetsu like this, but if he gets clever..maybe I'll get to try out some kidō." "Like that's gonna hit me!!!" Nnoitra jeered, allowing Santa Teresa to continue its path. The energy blast slammed into the weapon, spiritual energy colliding with his own physical energy. Even so, he could feel the power that Ichigo had put into the attack. There was no doubt about it... this blast was far too potent to be under the "exhausted" excuse. He could sense a good fight approaching. When the blast was forcibly dispelled, Nnoitra immediately swung his weapon to the side and ran at Ichigo, ready to use Santa Teresa's blades to cleave him in half. His eye had widened, and his grin had turned sadistic in nature. This was gonna be fun. "Bakudō #8, Seki!" Ichigo cried out, creating a small barrier that blocked the oncoming blade, creating sparks from the rubbing of the blade and the barrier, created by friction. He then focused his Getsuga Tenshō within his Zangetsu's blade and swung for Nnoitra's face. By tilting his head back and twisting himself, Nnoitra evaded the headshot that would've been made. The cutting edge, enhanced by Ichigo's spiritual strength, brought a wind that freshly slapped Nnoitra in the face as he twirled. In his 360-degree pivot, he gripped the hilt of Santa Teresa in both hands and swung, bringing the full brunt of his monstrous strength into play. Ichigo, seeing his death approaching in the form of Santa Tresa, released the Getsuga from his blade, which stuck the ground beneath him and propelled him skyward, allowing him to evade. "Just Shikai won't work on an Espada. I lasted longer in this form that I usually would've back in the old days. Now I can cut loose." he thought, pointing his sword straight ahead. "Bankai!" he yelled, becoming enveloped by black reiatsu. The energy blasted itself into the sky, causing winds that took out several windows of a nearby building. When he emerged from the smoke, he was wearing a long black robe. "Tensa Zangetsu..." he declared. "This is becoming too much for the town." he thought. Suddenly, a barrier leaped up that surrounded several blocks of central Karakura town. "There, now we're confined to these walls." he explained as the visual energy of the barrier disappeared. "Tch...." Although the Bankai brought about a feeling of nostaliga, especially upon seeing that display of immense spiritual energy, he frowned at the fact that the fighting would be restricted. "And you still insist on worryin' about others. Can you really do that, knowing that I'm gonna crush you like an ant either way?" As he spoke those taunting words, he twisted Santa Teresa around by the stem. The very power was causing whirlwinds to develop around him, creating slight shockwaves that radiated off of him. Strike of the Demon, Reflection of the Moon Ichigo's next movement was so fast that not even a blur could give away his movement. He appeared right above Nnoitra in a pouncing position, slicing down and releasing a black Getsuga Tenshō at his foe from above. "I think you should be more worried about me killing you." he retorted as he did. This time, Nnoitra's eye widened in surprise. As the energy blast was fired towards his person, he immediately kicked into a Sonido in order to evade it. As he flew back, one of his feet skidding across the ground, he thought back to his fight with Harribel. In that time, she had attempted to use blinding speed in order to overwhelm him, yet he had managed to counter every single one of her moves. But now... it seemed as if he was fighting an entirely different person. Was it because he was utilizing Shunpo instead of Sonido, an art foreign to the Arrancar? Either way, he would have to keep an eye on the punk. He stuck out his tongue, unleashing his trademark golden Cero as a counter-strike back at Ichigo. Ichigo lashed out with Tensa Zangetsu, slicing the Cero in two. "That Sonído of yours is troublesome. Bakudō #10, Part 2, Nein!" he declared, causing a kidō cuff to appear on Nnoitra's feet. He then used his tremendous speed to get behind the Arrancar. "You're nothing..." he growled, "Getsuga Tenshō..." A black blast consumed Nnoitra's body in that instant. He felt everything. He felt the killing intent that the enemy behind him was exerting on his body. He could practically taste the deadly energy as it enveloped him, its chilling and murderous presence comforting towards him. Although his Hierro prevented damage, a chill raced through his very nervous system. He wanted more of it, and that was what made his adrenaline boil his blood. A maniacal chuckle, almost sounding like dog's growls, erupted from his throat. At first, he was only concerned about killing the boy... but now, he wanted to push the Kurosaki to his limits. He wouldn't hold back the feeling anymore. As he released a powerful aura of his own reiatsu, it flew like flames from his body, shattering the cuff around his legs. With no hindrance, he immediately used another Sonido to get behind Ichigo and attack him. His weapon flew into a flurry of brute and aggressive strikes, making him a deadly weapon when coupled with his speed. And every time he struck, the very air around them seemed to crack and shake. He wanted to see that mask. Ichigo easily parried each blow, each blow equal in strength to Nnoitra's. He then contained a black Getsuga within Tensa Zangetsu's blade and began to brutally slam into Nnoitra's Santa Tresa. His speed only made each strike more unpredictable. At the new display of strength, Nnoitra's feet skidded into the dirt. He was pressed back by Ichigo, the spiritual energy having enough force to do so. Growling, he twisted Santa Teresa into an arc to force the man away from him before charging again to attack. He raced like a demon for his enemy, a maniacal sneer decked onto his face. Ichigo dawned his Hollow mask in that instant, and pointed Tensa Zangetsu into the air. Black energy raced around him, forming a tornado with his blade as it's epicenter. "Getsuga..." he began, swinging the blade and releasing the massive energy blast, "...Tenshō!" he roared. It was as if he had been slammed into a tornado. The dangerous energy slammed into his body, and he was immediately sent back, propelled by the power itself. He could barely register himself colliding with one of the houses, most of the structure being demolished by the very power of the Hollow-enduced Bankai. However, there was one constant thought in his mind: he had managed to force Ichigo to utilize his mask. He slowly got up, a wide but shallow gash on his torso as he did so. He stuck out his tongue once more, unleashing yet another Cero blast. Ichigo slashed the Cero in two and then pulled his Hollow mask off. "Just like a Vizard." Shinji thought. "Use your mask for a quick burst of power then take it off to conserve it's power." He then flashed down to a few feet away from Nnoitra. "That good enough for you?" Ichigo asked, getting into a defensive stance. Nnoitra simply got into a defensive stance of his own, sneering as he raised Santa Teresa threateningly. "Hardly, punk." He said haughtily. "I wanna see you do that again..." Then, he summoned up his own power, building up his reiatsu in order to start the process. As soon as he did, it exploded into a pillar that surrounded his body, reaching up to the ceiling of the barrier. Because it was penned in, it caused the air to become denser, with everyone inside feeling the effects. The very ground seemed to shake under the power. Then, Nnoitra said three words: "Pray, Santa Teresa!" Then, that reiatsu exploded full force, bringing forth a burst of light. When it cleared, Nnoitra was standing in full view, his battle-made Resurrecion ready. He held all four blades towards the Kurosaki, the sneer turning even more malicious.